Center sill



W. F. KIESEL. JR

CENTER SILL Filgd July 16, 1935 May 11, 1937.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES:

TOR 1 N I V William 1%W BY 1 TORNEYS.

May 11, 1937. w. F. KIESEL. JR- 2,

CENTER SILL Filed July 16, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 $3 INVENTOR: William 1? 7f 55 51 J2: BY

ATTORNEYS.

May 11, 1937. w. F. KIESEL. JR

CENTER SILL Filed July 16, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 v WK\\\MM INKENTOR: Will am i Kwsa RNEYS May 11, 1937. w. F. KIES EL. JR 2,079,352

' CENTER SILL Filed July 16, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 oooooooo-gi -oooooooo-' INVENTOR: Wiiiiam T165551 Jr, BY

-Patented May II, 1937' uuireo STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claiills.

'I'his invention relates to oenter'sill construction for cars and of the .type that extend lengthwise thereof and substantially midway between the opposing side frame members, while it has more particular reference to a novel form *of such sill that is preferably adapted for embodiment in railroad'dropsbottom cars wherein it is highlyvdesirable that all projecting parts in the region of thesheddln g surfaces be reduced to a minimum or totally eliminated.

An imports it object of this invention is to provide an open-bottom center sill including draft extensions and bolster flanges as a continuous integrally-formed structure, suchcent'er sill being of varying cross-sectional shapes at difierent parts of the length, whereby its incorporation in car frames is easily effected and, due to its novel formation and shape. provides good clearing angles and smooth surfaces in the outlet region or regions.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a center sill characterized by great strength and rigidity which is fabricated without any special housing, or analogous structural addition, within the hopper space and thereby effecting a saving in weight, cost and space.

A further object is to provide a center sill embodying counterpart plate components extending the entire length of said sill, such components being integrally-united along their upper conv fronting longitudinal edges.

A still further object isto provide an all plate center sill which by virtue of predetermined cross-sectional shaping of its counterpart components is adequately stiffened to resist the usual service strains'and stresses common to .railroad cars of the above mentioned types.

With the foregoing and other objects in viewas well as ancillary advantages, this invention 40 essentially comprises the novel center sill and its method of manufacture as illustrated by the accompanying sheets of drawings, hereinafter fully described. and particularly pointed out in the claims at the conclusion hereof. In the drawings: 7

Fig. I is a plan view of a freight or hopper car i cluding the novel center sill of this invention with parts broken away, and others in section, to better disclose underlying features. I

Fig, II is a side elevation of the car with the left-hand portion in longitudinal section.

Fig. III is a broken perspective view of the, improved center sill in accordance with the instant invention.

55 Fig. IV is a top plan view of one end portion of the improved center sill drawn to a larger scale; and,

Fig. V is a side view of the same.

Fig. VI is a lateral section taken approximately as indicated by the arrows VI-'-VI in Figs. I and 5 II.

Fig. VII is a similar section taken on the plane designated VlI--VII in Figs. I and 11.

Fig. VIII is a vertical section taken as indicated by the arrows VIII-VIII in Figs. IV and V. 10

Fig. D! is a like section taken on the plane designated IX-IX in the same Figs.

Fig. X is a similar' section taken as indicated by the arrows X-X in Figs. IV and V; and,

Fig. XI is a further enlarged sectional detail 15 showing a preferred manner in which the counterpart components of the improved center sill are integrally-united into a composite whole along their upper longitudinal edges.

Referring generally to Figs. I. II, VI, and V11 20 it is to be observed there is therein illustrated a hopper type of railroad freight car for carriage of cement or the like, the same comprising an underframe of opposing side sills I, and end frames 2, medially lengthwise whereof the center 25 sill, of the instant invention and comprehensively designated 3, is incorporated. The body of the car is of plate construction and suitably subdivided by vertical transverse walls l, into end hoppers 5, 6, with an intermediate hopper I, said 30 I end hoppers having sloping walls 8 supported and reinforced by bolsters 9 in accordance with known practice; while the respective hoppers 5. 6, 1, have bottom outlets ill, I I, under control of drop doors I2, Although the illustrated car is of the multiple 35 hopper type it is to be understood this invention is equally well adapted to single hopper cars, with equal advantages, as will be understood from the following disclosure.

The center sill 3, above referred to, and which 40 forms the essential subject-matter of the present application for patent, as will be best understood from Figs. III-V and VIII-X inclusive, comprises a pair of counterpart plates suitably shaped or pressed to form parallel vertical webs l3, extend- 45 ing the full length of said sill. The upper parts of the webs I3 are suitably-bent or inwardlyangled along paralleling lines II to define opposed tapering flanges l5, extending substantially the full extent of the center sill I, with their meeting or confronting upper edges l8, Fig. XI, preferably united by an appropriate weld l'l into an integral structure. Similarly the lower portions of the webs I! are appropriately bent or shaped to define horizontal flanges l8, which project outaovaee wardly relative to said webs to varying extent from the extreme ends of the sill 3, inwardly beyond the bolsters 9 to predetermined points it, and then merge downwardly into the vertical webs 63 to points 20 outwardly-adjacent to the car sloping end walls 8, hereinbefore referred to. Thus it will be readily understood that the length of the center sill 3, intermediate the sloping end walls 8 of the car, as best appreciated from Fig.

II, or where it projects upwards into the hoppers E5, '6 and l, may be considered as of a continuous cums-section embodying vertical webs 53 with tapering flanges i5 merging upwardly to the longitudinal center line of the car, said webs and flanges being entirely devoid of any projections that might tend to interfere with the uniform discharge and free flow of the material transported in said hoppers, when the. respective drop doors I? are released. This feature or provision of good clearing angles and smooth surfaces leading down into the hopper outlets in and ill will also be well understood from an examination of Figs. I, II and VII, wherein it is observable that the car end sloping walls 8 extend directly down to and are suitably secured on correspondinglysloped flange portions 28 of the outlets III, while theopposing inclined walls 22 of the hoppers 5,.

projections whatsoever are presented beyond the inner smooth surfaces or the several outlet walls that might tend to check the free flow or passage thereover of the material in the respective hoppers 5, 6 and I, when dumping or emptying the car contents. Similarly the lower inwardly-sloping portions 28 of the several hopper side walls 29 are correspondingly attached to the confronting portions of the outlet flanges 2i and 25 in an obvious manner.

Referring again to the center sill 3, and more particularly to Figs. III-V as well as Figs. VIII-X which illustrate the end formation of said sill, it will be seen that between the points I9, 20 the intervening sill flange portions lBa taper downwardly and inwardly, or gradually merge from the horizontal to the vertical intermediate said points, the former of which points l9 being located well inside of the bolsters 9 and thus making the cross-section of the sill 3 where it passes through the hoppers 5, l and 6, continuously of the form shown in Fig. X, and it will be readily understood that, by countersinkinig the rivet holes 30 therein, uninterrupted smooth exterior surfaces throughout the parts of the sill 3 extending upwards into the hoppers 5, I and 6, are effectively provided for. Furthermore the sill flange horizontal portions |8b outside of the bolsters 9 are also tapered from the points 3| exterior of the bolster base flanges 32 to their extremities or free ends, whereat the'sill 3 is suitably shapedto rectangular or inverted-channel section 33, for reception and attachment of the conventional draft gear and striker castings, not shown. It is also to be remarked that the sill upper opposing angled flanges I5 from a point 34, well to the rear of each bolster 9, are expandingly flattened down, as at 35, to a common inclined plane for mergence into the upper horizontal face of the section 33; or, in other words, the outer and cross-sectional shape of the wide and running the full length of the car. section of the center sill 3 intermediate the points sill opposing plate components merge outwardly with respect to the points 3 8, from a 2 section having a vertical web i3 with the top flange i5 upwardly-angled relative to the lower flange l8, downward to the sill end sections 33 whereat the web it remains vertical but the flattened portions 35 are brought horizontal in parallelism with the sill end portions (18b of the side flanges i8. Thus it will be readily understood that the center sill ends outside of the bolsters 9 are grad ually stiffened from the points 3 3 towards the ends of the car, and that they merge outwardly from the cross-section of Fig. X into what may be termed true Z-shape at the part which houses the draft gear housing and striker castings.

Furthermore it is to be understood that the transition to the flattenings 35 from horizontal to vertically inclined may be located anywhere between the bolsters 9 and the car end; while the transition of the flanged bottom portions IBa may be located anywhere between said bolsters and the proximate hopper end walls 8. Also it is to be noted that for ordinary hopper cars of the type indicated hereinbefore, the novel center sill of this invention can be easily shaped from two half-inch plates of about thirty-inches The apparent from an understanding of this, disclosure; and while there has been shown and described a preferred manner of carrying the same into practical effect, it is to be understood such disclosure is not to be considered as limiting said invention, the scope whereof i's specifically defined by the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A center sill comprising counterpart continuous components shaped to define substantially paralleling webs with an intervening ridge and an opposed continuous opening, and said components also embodying lateral flanges extending inwardly from the ends to a predetermined extent and therefrom merging into the paralleling webs.

2. A center sill comprising counterpart continuous components shaped to define substantially paralleling webs with an intervening upper ridge and an opposed lower continuous opening, said plates having lower outwardly-directed iateral flanges extending inwardly from the ends whereat said plates are integrally-united, said' sill having lower horizontal outwardly-directed flanges extending inwards from the ends thereof to predetermined points with confronting sections merging downwardly into the vertical webs, and said sill also having end sections of substantially rectangular cross-section with adjoining portions of the ridge aforesaid inclinedly flattened to merge into such end sections.

5. A center sill in accordance with claim 4 cmbodying end sections of predetermined length including spaced vertical webs connected by upwardly-angled opposing portions and lower outward horizontal flanges, and such sections taper downwardly into terminal ends with the upwardly-angled portions merged into parallel relation with respect to the lower flanges aforesaid.

6. A center sill in accordance with claim 4 wherein the sill lower horizontal flanges are outwardly reduced in width from predetermined points inwardly of the sill ends. a

7. A center sill for a railway car comprising spaced sill plates having substantially paralleling webs defining a continuous open bottom lengthwise thereof, said plates having top flanges united together at their free edges, and said flanges and webs forming varying angles with each other along the length of the sill plates.

8. A center sill for a railway car comprising spaced plates having substantially paralleling webs defining a continuous open bottom lengthwise thereof and with top and bottom flanges, the top flanges of each plate being united at their free edges, and the top and bottom flanges of each plate forming varying angles with the web along the length thereof.

9. A center sill for a railway car comprising a pair of spaced sill plates having substantially vertical webs defining a continuous open bottom lengthwise thereof, said plates having top flanges integrally united at their free edges, and said plates being formed to varying cross-sectional shapes along the length thereof.

10. A center sill for railway hopper cars comprising a pair of sill plates of substantially uniform width and bent to varying cross-sectional shapes at points along the length thereof, said plates being integrally joined at their top edges and-being symmetrically disposed with respect to the line along which they are joined.

11. An open-bottom center sill for railway hopper cars comprising a continuous plate-like structure bent to varyingcross-sectional shapes along the length thereof to afford spaced vertical webs bridged at the ends of the structure by a substantially flat top member, and at the central portion of the structure by an inverted V-shaped member.

12. An open-bottom ,center sill for railway hopper cars comprising a continuous plate-like structure bent to varying cross-sectional shapes along y the length thereof to afiord spaced vertical webs bridged at the ends of the structure by a substantially flat top member and at the central portion of the structure by an inverted V-shaped member, said flat top member gradually merging into said inverted V-shaped member intermediate the ends and central portion of the structure.

13. An open-bottom center sill for railway hopper cars comprising a continuous plate-like structure bent to varying cross-sectional shapes along the length thereof, said structure being characterized by spaced vertical webs extending throughout its length, and having at its end portions a flat top member bridging said webs and outwardly extending bottom flanges and having at its central portion an inverted V-shaped top member bridging said webs.

14. An open-bottom center sill for railway hopper cars comprising a continuous plate-like structure bent to varying cross-sectional shapes along the length thereof, said structure being characterized by spaced vertical webs extending throughout its length, and having at its end portions a flat top member bridging said webs and outwardly extending bottom flanges and having disposed in a horizontal plane at the regions of the center sill outside the body bolsters, and said top flanges being of inverted V-shaped formation in the region of the center sill between the body bolsters. V

16. In a railway car, body bolsters, and a center sill comprising spaced sill plates having substantially parallel vertical webs defining a continuous open bottom lengthwise thereof, said plates having top flanges integrally joined at the longitudinal center line of the car, said sill plates being of substantially Z-shaped formation at the regions of the center sill outside the body bolsters, and said top flanges having an inverted V-shaped formation at the region of the center sill between the body bolsters.

17. In a railway hopper car including body bolsters and end slope walls, a center sill comprising spaced sill plates .having substantially parallel vertical webs jointly defining a continuous open bottom lengthwise thereof, said plates having top flanges joined together at the longitudinal center line of the car, said top flanges being disposed in a horizontal plane at the regions of the center sill outside the body bolsters, and forming an inverted V at the region between the end slope walls and gradually merging from the regions between the end sill and the end slope walls.

WILLIAM F. KIESEL. JR. 

